Because aspirin is available over the counter, a number of Your Dog readers have given it to their pets to relieve pain from such conditions as arthritis, gum disease, and post-surgical healing. On its face, such a decision makes sense. A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, or NSAID, aspirin can reduce inflammation and can prove quite beneficial in relieving the inflammatory pain of arthritis or another disease. But it can also come with some serious side effects: GI ulceration and bleeding, vomiting, and sometimes out-and-out perforation of the gastrointestinal tract, which is frequently fatal. (Because of its potential to cause bleeding, aspirin has fallen out of favor for treating arthritis pain in people; other NSAIDs have been taking its place.)
